Arbitrary arrest and subsequent release of 49 individuals participating in a press conference organised by the İzmir Peace Block

Release / Harassment
Turkey
February 11, 2016

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme ofthe International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World OrganisationAgainst Torture (OMCT) requests your urgent intervention in the followingsituation in Turkey.

Descriptionof the situation:

TheObservatory has been informed by the Human Rights Association (İHD) and theHuman Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) about the arbitrary arrest andsubsequent release of 49 individuals for their participation in a pressconference organised by the İzmir Peace Block to protest against human rightsviolations in Cizre (South-eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey) and call forpeace.

Accordingto the information received, on February 9, 2016, 49 individuals including Ms. Gurbet Uçar,President of İHD İzmir Branch,Mr. Nizamettin Aktaş, İHD Central Executive Board member, Mr. CoşkunÜsterci, HRFT Executive Committee member, and Mr. Bahri Akkan,President of Egitimsen (Teachers’ Union) İzmir First Branch, were arrested inİzmir by the police while attending a press conference organised by the İzmirPeace Block. As the conference was about to begin, riot police forcesforcefully entered the location, using excessive force including rubberbullets, against the participants. Mr. MehmetAker, İHD Executive Committee member, was shot in the leg andinjured.

The 49 activists were kept in police vehicles for overthree hours without any arrest warrant, before being taken to İzmir SecurityDirectorate. 38 of them were released on the same day. The other 11 activistsremained in police custody overnight and were released the following day. The49 are facing charges for violating the law on assemblies, marches anddemonstrations (Law No. 2911) and doing propaganda for an illegal organisation.

The police intervention and arrests are based on adirective issued by the İzmir Governorship banning all press conferencesorganised by the İzmir Peace Block. Both IHD İzmir Branch and HRFT İzmir Officehold observer member status in the İzmir Peace Block.

The Observatory recalls that this wave of arbitraryarrests and detentions is part of wide-range anti-terrorism operations, startedin late July 2015. The operations turned into a massive crackdown on some civilsociety organisations depicted as “terrorist networks”. This campaign has beentargeting dozens of peaceful activists who have been involved in the monitoringof human rights violations resulting from anti-terrorism operations and whohave been advocating for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue. Thesepeaceful activists include human rights defenders, particularly IHD members, lawyers, political party representatives andjournalists.

TheObservatory calls upon the Turkish authorities to immediately put an end to theongoing harassment against human rights defenders, and particularly İHD members, since it only seems to aim at sanctioningtheir legitimate human rights activities.

Actionsrequested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities in Turkey, urging them to:

i.Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Gurbet Uçar andMessrs. Nizamettin Aktaş, Bahri Akkan, Mehmet Aker and Coşkun Üsterci as wellas of all human rights defenders in Turkey;

ii. Put an end to all forms of harassment against Ms. Gurbet Uçar and Messrs. Nizamettin Aktaş, Bahri Akkan, MehmetAker and Coşkun Üsterci, as well as other İHD and HRFT members and all humanrights defenders in Turkey;

iii. Putan end to the crackdown on civil society under the pretext of counteringterrorism and publicly recognise the legitimate role of human rights defendersin line with Turkey’s international commitments;

iv.Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on HumanRights Defenders, in particular with:

- itsArticle 1, which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and inassociation with others, to promote and to strive for the protection andrealization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national andinternational levels”;

- itsArticle 6(a), which foresees that “everyone has the right, individually and inassociation with others, to participate in peaceful activities againstviolations of human rights and fundamental freedoms”;

- itsArticle 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measuresto ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individuallyand in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, defacto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary actionas a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to inthe present Declaration”;

v. Ensurein all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by Turkey.

Addresses:

· President of Turkey, Recep TayyipErdoğan, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi 06560 Beştepe-Ankara, Tel: (+90 312) 525 5555, Fax: (+90 312) 525 58 31, E-mail: contact@tccb.gov.tr

· Prime Minister of Turkey AhmetDavutoglu tel: (0312) 422 10 00 ; Fax: +90 (312) 403 62 82

· Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, No:8 Balgat / Ankara - Turkey 06100; Tel : +90 (312) 292 10 00

· Minister of Justice, Mr. Bekir Bozdağ, 06659 Kizilay,Ankara; Tel: +90 (312) 417 77 70; Fax: +90 (0312) 419 33 70; E-mail: info@adalet.gov.tr

· Ministerof Interior, Mr. Efkan Ala; tel: +90 (312) 422 40 00; Fax: +90 (312) 425 61 30; Email: ozelkalem@icisleri.gov.tr

· Ambassador Izzet Selim Yenel, DiplomaticMission of Turkey to the European Union in Brussels, Avenue des Arts 36-38,1000 Bruxelles, Belgium; Fax: + 32 2 511 04 50

· Ambassador Mehmet Ferden Çarikçi,Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations in Geneva, Chemin duPetit-Saconnex 28B 1211 Geneva 19, Tel: +41 22 918 50 80; Fax: +41 22 734 0859; Email: mission.turkey@ties.itu.int

Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Turkey in yourrespective country.